The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-31

questions the honesty of purpose or
the heroism with which the Con-
federates maintained their cause, and
you will give credit for like courage
and honorable motives to Union
soldiers, North and South.
When the war was over the people
of the North particularly approved
the generous terms granted by Gen.
Grant to Gen. Lee and the Confed.
crate troops, and wished that the
people of the South should be re-
stored to all their rights and privi-
leges, subject only to such condi-
tions as honor and good faith seemed
to demand, arising out Of the proc
;amatiou of President Lincoln for
tie emancipation of the slaves. Both
sides felt that the abolition Of sla-
very was the necessary result Of the
war, and it seemed to US that if the
slaves were to be free they must be
armed with the privileges Of ffreemen,
and these were secured to them by
constitutional amendments.
The attempt to force these rights
by the national authorities has thus
far partially failed, and now it is con-
ceded that under the limitations of
the Constitution the rights of the
citizen of g State can only be en-
forced through State or national trl.
bunals, and where public opinion is
intolerant and jurors will not do
their duty as citizens, either white or
black may be without remedy for the
grossest wrong, except the right to
migrate to where his rights will be
respected.
Our Constitutions are based upon
the idea that such denial of rights
is impossible, and I trust that the
time is not far distant when the peo-
pie of every State will feel it to be
both just and expedient that every
citizen of the State shall be protected
in the free and equal enjoyment Of
every right and privilege conferred
by the Constitution of the United
States. The Republican party is
pledged to this policy, and though it
will use no unconstitutional mems
to secure rights, it would be false to
its principles if it does not use all its
moral and legal power to that end.
No wrong can be done to the hum
blest citizen, and no right withheld
without reacting upon the commu-
nifty at large.
l was glad to hear in passing
through several Of the Southern
States conservative citizens say that
pubic sentiment now revolts at the
unlawful methods 10 defeat the free
exercise of equal rights of citizens
that have been adopted in several
States, and are still practiced in what
are known as the black counties Of
the South. As lorg as such methods
are resorted to there will be keen
sense Of wrong and injustice to the
injured parties, and those who prac.
tice such offences will in the end
suffer for it.
Sectional feeling will continue to
exist as long as the masses of the
people, whether poor or rich, white or
black, are denied their rights to share
in self.government. 1t sets a bad
example, which the criminal classes
in the North in some cases have
eagerly adopted to cheat in elections,
as in Cincinnati two years ago. It
also produces inequality of represen-
tation between North and South, and
this keeps up sectional lines in party
politics. 1t opens tie way to cor
ruption and fraud, which in time de-.
stroys all the defences of a Repub-
lican government.
But there is smother ground upon
which I prefer to base my appeal to
the South for justice and fair play to
the African race. 1t was recently elo-
quently stated in debate by Senator
Vest. of Missori, that:
Il have nothing to say to any
man who thinks that to-day would
grind the African race out of one
cent. If any man in this world has
reason to be their friend I am that
man. Raised with them, nursed by
one OF them, an humble owner Of
of them as inherited property, I never
bought or sold one of them for gain
in my life. They are docile, gen
tie, inofTensive race, and a Southern
man who would wrong them deserves
to be blotted from the roll Of man
hood. When our wives and chill
dren were in their hands during the
war, they acted so as to make every
man III the South their friend who
had one particle Of manhood about
him ,,